In case you’ve been out of the country and without a working WiFi connection for the last month, NFL mock draft madness is upon us with the real deal now less than a week away.
’Tis definitely the season.
And to help Broncos Country make sense of all the picks, prognostications and profound draftnik statements, I’ve zeroed in out the Broncos’ projected first-round selections –all at their current positon of 31st overall – from five of the most recent mock drafts conducted by national media members/draft gurus. I then conducted my own “mock draft” of those five predicted picks, ranking them in order of my perceived best fits for the Orange & Blue.
Now you may not agree with the selections – and/or my subsequent rankings – but, hey, ’tis the season for that as well.
Here we go, starting with my least favorite and counting down to No. 1 …
5. Texas A&M G Germain Ifedi (Nate Davis, April 26 USA Today Sports Weekly)
Thoughts: Davis sees a glaring need with the team parting ways with primary 2015 starters Louis Vasquez and Evan Mathis, but it’s too early to pick a guard – even one of the best on board who can also line up at tackle – particularly when the Broncos seemingly already have two ready-made replacements in Max Garcia and converted-tackle Ty Sambrailo, a pair of second-year players and two of the team’s top four picks a year ago.
4. BYU DE Bronson Kaufusi (Chad Reuter, NFL.com)
Thoughts: At 6-foot-7 and 285 pounds and a former BYU hoops player with 25.5 career sacks, Kaufsui brings some intriguing skills to the NFL table, but he carries a second- or third-round grade on most of the other draft boards, and this looks like it would be a definite and drekaded reach, especially when the more highly-touted but troubled Robert Nkemdiche still available in Reuter’s mock.
3. Ohio State LB Darron Lee (Chris Burke, SI.com)
Thoughts: This former prep quarterback/cornerback is a bit on the smallish side at 6-1 and 232 pounds, that’s a near match for Danny Trevathan – the departed and productive free agent he’d be drafted to replace. It also sounds as he’d be able to replace much of Trevathan’s athleticism, but there are a lot of missed tackles noted on his scouting report as well.
2. Alabama DT A’Shawn Robinson (Mel & Todd’s Mock Draft, ESPN, April 21)
Thoughts: Although he weighs in at nearly 310 pounds and is ranked as the top defensive tackle available on several boards, the 21-year-old Robinson possesses the skills to play both at end and inside – not to mention the look of a seasoned NFL veteran. It’s hard to go wrong with a highly-touted SEC lineman.
1. Memphis QB Paxton Lynch (Rob Rang, CBSSports.com)
Thoughts: If Lynch, widely regarded as the draft’s third-best QB behind likely top-two picks Jared Goff and Carson Wentz, does indeed fall this far – or anywhere even close – it would behoove John Elway and Co. to pounce quickly and nab the talented but longer-term project at still far and away the league’s most important position. As much as we’d like to see this happen, don’t count on Lynch lasting any farther than the 20th pick (N.Y. Jets) at the latest.
